Tuesday, 1 April 2008

In
the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain
manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who
pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with
care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to
charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize
that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I
continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.

I will persist until I succeed.

I
was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in
my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a
lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will
hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious.
Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my
destiny.

I will persist until I succeed.

The
prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning;
and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order
to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step,
yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know
how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

Always
will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another,
and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth,
I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a
mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the
second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem
of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually
tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.

I
will be liken to the raindrop which washes away the mountain; the ant
who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who
builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know
that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.

I will persist until I succeed.

I
will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such
words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the
question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for
they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of
the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil
and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine
eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends,
green grass grows.

I will persist until I succeed.

I
will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my
good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will
increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will
bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me
for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the
seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the
day. I must fail often to succeed only once.

I will persist until I succeed.

I
will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a
mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist
and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride
out the wrath of each storm.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth,
I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work.
When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a
failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts
beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I
will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and
if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end
with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and
gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a
prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, the mine will begin,
and my harvest will be full.

I will persist until I succeed.

。
Nor
will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency,
for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the
happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and
greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my
life.

So long as there is
breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the
greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.